The Madrid Metro is the large metro system serving the city of Madrid. It is one of the largest metro systems in the world, which is especially remarkable considering Madrid's population of approximately 3.5 million (Madrid city) to 6 million (metropolitan area). In fact, it is among the top 7 longest metros in the world, though Madrid is approximately the fiftith most populous metropolitan area in the world. Its fast growth in the last 20 years has put it among the fastest growing networks in the world, rivaled among others by the Seoul Metro or the Beijing Subway. Unlike normal Spanish road and rail traffic, Madrid Metro trains use left-hand running on all lines due to historical reasons. A light rail system feeding the metro opened in 2007 (5 years ago). It is called Metro Ligero, meaning light metro, but the type of system is light rail. History The first line of the Madrid Metro opened on 17 Oct. 1919 (93 years ago) under the direction of the Compañía de Metro Alfonso XIII, with 8 stations and 3.5 km (2.2 mi). It was constructed in a narrow section and the stations had 60 m platforms. The enlargement of this line and the construction of two others followed shortly after 1919 (93 years ago). In 1936 (76 years ago), the network had three lines and a branch line between Opera and Norte railway station. All these stations served as air raid shelters during the Spanish Civil War. After the civil war the public works to extend the network went on little by little. In 1944 (68 years ago) a fourth line was constructed and it absorbed the branch of line 2 between Goya and Diego de León in 1958 (54 years ago), a branch that was intended to be part of line 4 since its construction but was exploited as a branch of line 2 until the construction of line 4. Lago station in the old Line S (now Line 10) is one of the few surface stations in the Metro network.In the sixties, a suburban railway was constructed between Plaza de España and Carabanchel, linked to lines 2 (at Noviciado station with a long transfer) and 3. A fifth metro line was constructed as well with narrow section but 90 m platforms. Shortly after opening the first section of line 5, the platforms in line 1 were enlarged from 60 to 90 m, closing Chamberí station since it was too close to Iglesia (less than 500 m). Chamberí has been closed ever since and there are plans to turn it into a museum. At the beginning of the seventies, the network was greatly expanded to cope with the influx of population and urban sprawl from Madrid's economic boom. New lines were planned with large 115 m platforms. Lines 4 and 5 were enlarged as well. In 1979 (33 years ago), bad management led to a crisis. Works already started were finished during the eighties and all remaining projects were abandoned. After all these projects, 100 km (62 mi) of rail track had been completed and the suburban railway had also disappeared since it had been extended to Alonso Martínez and thence converted to line 10. At the beginning of the nineties, control of the network was transferred to a public enterprise, Metro de Madrid. More large-scale expansion projects were carried out. Lines 1, 4 and 7 were extended and a new line 11 was constructed towards the outlying areas of Madrid. Lines 8 and 10 were joined together into a longer line 10 and a new line 8 was constructed to expand the underground network towards the airport. The enlarged line 9 was the first to leave the outskirts of Madrid to arrive in Rivas-Vaciamadrid and Arganda del Rey, two towns located in the southeast suburbs of Madrid. In the early 2000s, a huge project installed approximately 50 km (31 mi) of new metro tunnels. This construction included a direct connection between downtown Madrid (Nuevos Ministerios) and the airport, the lengthening of (line 8), and adding service to the outskirts with a huge 40 km loop called MetroSur serving Madrid's southern suburbs. MetroSur, one of the largest ever civil engineering projects in Europe, opened on 11 Apr. 2003 (9 years ago). It includes 41 km (25 mi) of tunnel and 28 new stations, including a new interchange station on Line 10, which connects it to the city centre and stations linking to the local train network. Its construction began in Jun. 2000 (12 years ago) and the whole loop was completed in less than three years. It connects Getafe, Móstoles, Alcorcón, Fuenlabrada, and Leganés, five towns located in the area south of Madrid. Most of the current efforts of Madrid regional government are channeled towards the enlargement of the Metro network. In the recently finished 2003-2007 term, President Esperanza Aguirre funded a multi-billion dollar project, which has added to, joined, or extended almost all of the metro lines. The project included the addition of 90 km (56 mi) and the construction of 80 new stations. It has carried the underground railway to many districts that had never previously had Metro service (Villaverde, Manoteras, Carabanchel Alto, La Elipa, Pinar de Chamartín) and to the eastern and northern outskirts as well (Coslada, San Fernando de Henares, Alcobendas, San Sebastián de los Reyes). For the first time in Madrid, 3 interurban light rail (Metro Ligero or ML) lines were built to the western outskirts (Pozuelo de Alarcón, Boadilla del Monte) - mL2 and mL3 - and to the new northern districts of Sanchinarro and Las Tablas - mL1. As a last-minute addition, a project on line 8 connected it to the new T4 terminal of Madrid-Barajas Airport.

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